The Last Laugh
by Roxy Wolfe
Summary: Gotham City is being plagued by three new mysterious villains all aquaintances of the Joker. As Batman begins to take an interest in them, his foes do as well. They become forced to choose where their loyalties lie and secrets begin to unravel.
1. Flame, Fox, and Kitten

"Got it?" Three young women sat atop a large building, cloaked by the darkness of the night. One was bent over a glass window, busily working on it. The other two watched her; one looking slightly anxious, the other impatient.

Her long red hair fell partially over her face as she looked up and glanced at the one who asked.

"I'm working on it," she hissed to the one with light blue hair. The blue-haired girl sighed and looked at the third member of their group.

"What does he want here, anyway? I feel so generic breaking into a museum. Since when did he start stealing Catwoman's heist ideas? God, he's crazy…."

"He's not crazy!" the purple-haired girl said indignantly. "He wants the precious amethyst stone that was just sent here."

"And stealing a gem, too?! This gets worse by the second… What the hell does he need an amethyst stone for? He doesn't need the money, surely?" the blue-haired girl continued.

"Just because you're too stupid to understand his ingenious plans…" the purple-haired girl replied scathingly. They glared daggers at each other as they heard a soft "Pop!"

"Shut the hell up, you two!" the redhead growled. "I cut the glass, so one of you needs to go down their first while the other watches the monitor up here with me. The blue-haired girl volunteered easily. "Whatever… Climb down the rope, she'll shut off the security systems momentarily, you break the case, grab the stone, and I'll pull your ass back up here. Got it?" She nodded and began to climb down the rope that had been lowered into the museum from the hole in the glass.

"Hello, ladies," a deep voice said above them.

"Shit! It's the Bat!" the redhead cursed. A smoke bomb exploded, blinding the two girls and making them cough. Chick-chick-BOOM! A shotgun bullet rang out, clearing a path in the smoke. The redhead held the shotgun, aiming it in the haze and reloaded it. Chick-chick-

"Agh!" The redhead landed with a thud as a cloaked man brought her to the ground from behind. The purple-haired girl shrieked and shot a series of machine gun bullets that zoomed past the man, barely missing as he jumped and flipped to dodge them.

The blue-haired girl landed softly in the museum and ran quickly to the display case, knowing from the gunshots that she had very little time. Instead of carefully breaking the class like she normally would have, she grabbed a pistol from her side and smashed open the case. WEE-OOH! WEE-OOH! The alarm sounded, just as she knew it would. But it didn't matter; their biggest problem was already on the roof.

"What's the matter?" the purple-haired girl asked, smiling. "Don't you like to dance?" She fired off a few more rounds as the cloaked man tried to avoid them. The redhead was already on her feet, aiming once again. He was certainly outnumbered and it looked as though he had no weapons. Chick-chick-BOOM!

"Shit! Missed!" Chick-chick-BOOM! Chick-chick-BOOM!. More machine rounds came at him and he narrowly avoided the last shotgun bullet that was fired. Fwooh! A grappling gun shot at the redhead and zoomed past her.

"Heh," she smirked and aimed the shotgun again. "'Bye, Bats!" He flew, the grappling gun pulling him towards her, and knocked her off her feet, the shotgun bullet barely missing him.

"Ugh!" he crashed to the floor and rolled on the ground, clutching his shoulder- a machine bullet had gotten him. The redhead took advantage of the wounded man and pounced on him, punching his head violently from side to side.

The blue-haired girl climbed slowly up the rope, cursing the masked man's appearance. It would have been so much easier for her partner to have pulled her up. The large amethyst stone sat safely in her pouch. She just hoped they'd be able to escape before the cops came.

"Oh, shit."

"Drop to the ground, NOW!" A dozen police officers swarmed in and aimed their guns at her warningly.

"But I'm afraid I'll hurt myself if I fall from this height," the girl called mockingly. A warning shot flew past her. "Alright, alright!" she yelled. "Let me climb down. Jesus!" She reached her arm down to grab hold of the rope, but then pulled out a small, round object, clicked a button that made it blink, and hurled it down at the police. The ground below her exploded as the officers tried to move out of the way. The girl climbed hurriedly up the rope and jumped out into the open.

The man kicked the redhead and threw a bat-shaped shuriken at the purple-haired girl, making her drop her machine gun in pain as it hit her hand. He caught sight of a streak of blue hair as the other girl sprinted away, the pouch on her side bouncing lightly upon her thigh. Realizing the she had something of value, he ran at her and aimed a punch. She narrowly dodged it, following through with her own. They exchanged a series of blows as the man hit her jaw, snatching the pouch from her waist.

"No!" The other two ran at him and the three girls teamed up. They fought him, working together flawlessly. He had a difficulty avoiding and blocking them. The purple-haired girl aimed a punch for the cloaked man's face, as he blocked it with his arm, a knife popped out of her sleeve and she sliced his wrist through a small opening between his armored glove and sleeve. Preoccupied with his wound, he was not able to block the elbow to his face from the blue-haired girl. The redhead snatched the pouch from his hands and punched the man, sending him flying.

"Let's go, idiots!" the redhead yelled. They ran towards the edge of the roof and jumped. The man recovered and ran to the edge, looking down. Suddenly a purple helicopter rose into the sky. The three girls sat in it carelessly. The redhead stood against the wall, arms folded, looking both irritated and bored. The blue-haired girl sat on the edge, legs dangling, and smiled at the man. The purple-haired girl sat in the cockpit next to a peculiar man. He had slicked-back, green hair, a white face, and wore a purple and green suit with a wide, red smile. He cackled maniacally, holding the stone in his hand and admiring it.

"Thanks for the amethyst stone, Batman! It matches my suit so well, doesn't it?" he taunted, still laughing as the helicopter took off.

Batman watched it silently as his cape billowed in the wind. The police swarmed on the rooftop behind him.

"Where are they, Batman?!" Batman looked back at the men.

"Gone, Gordon," he replied curtly, frustration well-hidden within his voice. He appeared as calm as ever. He clutched at his shoulder as it throbbed painfully from the bullet.

"Dammit! They escaped again." The commissioner sighed, exhausted, taking off his glasses and putting his fingers to his temple. "We don't even know who they are or who they're affiliated with- if anyone."

"Actually, we know both," Batman replied coolly

"What?" said Gordon, baffled.

"The girls were kind enough to leave a note," he said, handing Commissioner Gordon a playing card. Gordon studied it. It was a Joker card. In the spaces it read:

Thanks from: Flame, Fox, Kitten, and The Joker.

Gordon placed the card in a plastic bag and handed it over to an officer.

"Get this over to forensics immediately and check for prints and DNA." The man nodded and took off. "Not that it's likely we'll find anything…" he muttered. "The Joker has a remarkable knack for not leaving any evidence… and I doubt this time it'll be much different, even with three others included. But one can hope, eh?" Batman stared silently at him. He continued. "Well, this does complicate matters. The Joker is usually known for working alone. If he ever uses associates, they're usually low-level thugs. Just pawns to him. These girls seem like high-class criminals."

"That card makes me think that these girls are more than just pawns to the Joker. They almost seem like… partners. They must have some connection to him. He wouldn't share his power so easily. I'll look into my archive for suspects. If we do end up catching one of them, they could be used to get information on him. He's still our top priority. Keep your eyes out, Gordon." Gordon glanced behind him to the officers.

"Do you think that they could be more dangerous than he is?" He looked back in front of him. Batman had vanished. Gordon sighed. "He's always doing that.."


	2. The Curious Bat

He sat at his super computer, no longer Batman. He was billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. Bruce scrolled through hundreds of pictures, profiles, and names from Arkham Asylum and the prison. His forearm and shoulder were both bandaged.

Bruce's clacking echoed throughout the grotto, occasionally adding to the squeals of bats and the dripping of water. The entire cave was dimly lit by a few high-powered lights that looked out of place in the cavern. Numerous vehicles, weapons, and displays of past villains could be seen.

"Your tea, Master Bruce," a balding butler with a mustache said to the man behind the computer. Bruce turned around.

"Thank you, Alfred," he smiled wearily, taking a cup of tea from the platter the butler held.

"Anything on the Joker's… associates?" Alfred asked, setting the empty platter on a table. His proper British accent fell familiarly on Bruce's ears. He turned back around to his computer and sighed.

"No, nothing. I've been searching for hours, leafing through numerous profiles, and have found no one that resembles the girls I saw or seems like they'd have ties to the Joker. Absolutely no leads…"

"Perhaps they were just normal citizens, or at least living their lives as such until that lunatic made contact with them?" Alfred suggested mildly.

"If so, it'll be even harder to find them. I need some kind of lead. Those girls could be the key to the Joker. It's unlikely… but if they're close to him, I might be able to learn more about him; his background… his life…"

"And use it to capture him?" the butler asked. Bruce nodded.

"And maybe even help cure him."

"You'll often find, Master Bruce, that there are some diseases that you can't cure. It has either gone so deep into their system that it is impossible to dispose of, or perhaps the patient does not want to be cured?" Bruce did not speak. "All I am saying, sir, is that you should not waste your time one an unwilling patient. How can you help someone who doesn't want to be helped?"

"You have to convince them to seek help first," Bruce said gruffly.

"Perhaps you are right," Alfred said, picking up the empty tea cup and placing it on the tray. "Good luck with your research." He walked upstairs.

Bruce sat in silence. He had to at least try.

They're there!" Bruce cried triumphantly.

"Sir?" Alfred asked.

"I found them, all three of them, in Arkham Asylum."

"But I thought you had gone through all of the asylum's profiles?"

"I went through all the profiles in the archives. They weren't in there; they were in a private file. You are unable to permanently delete any records of a person enrolled in the asylum; it will always remain on the hard drive. If someone wanted to keep their information from being read, they'd have to place it in a private folder and put their own security devices on it. The security on this was very advanced. It took my computer all day to hack in, and it is one of, if not the most advanced hacking system in the world. I know the Joker wasn't one for technology. I'm guessing one of the girls is a technological genius.

"That's pretty impressive, Master Bruce. Their knowledge might even rival yours," Alfred mused and Bruce chuckled.

"Not likely, Alfred, I was able to hack in eventually."

"What information do their profiles give us? Do they have names?"

"No," Bruce said, slightly disgruntled. "Their only listed names are the ones they gave us in the note. But their time in and out of the asylum is quite interesting." He clicked and a profile was brought up on a screen. A picture of a redheaded girl appeared along with a list of details.

Name: Flame

Room: 701

Birthday: N/A

Blood Type: 0-

Hair/Eye: Red/Maroon

Mental and Social Problems: Anti-social, hardly speaks at all, sociopath.

Sent by: Police

Record: Convicted murderer. Has killed hundreds (exact number unknown) reason- unknown.

Record in Arkham Asylum: 13 dead, 7 injured cause- unknown

Warning- approach with caution, very dangerous

Status- Escaped

"She certainly seems pleasant, doesn't she?" Alfred said dryly.

"I'm guessing they didn't have much success rehabilitating her…" Bruce said as another profile appeared. A petite girl stood in the picture. Her lavender hair was held back with a headband, decorated with purple ribbons. It hung straight, almost to her waist. She, unlike Flame, was smiling cheerfully.

Name: Kitten

Room: 701

Birthday: N/A

Blood Type: B+

Hair/ Eye: Lavender/ Violet

Mental and Social problem: Prone to fits of hysteria. Monophonic. Obsessive Compulsive. Suicidal.

Sent by: Police

Record: Convicted of stalking, abducting, torturing, and killing forty-five men. Reason- "I didn't want them to leave me!"

Record in Asylum: 10 dead. Cause- became obsessed with 10 employees, when rejected she killed them in fear of being left.

Warning: Mentally unstable, cannot predict actions.

Status: Escaped.

"Now this one seems rather crazy… She's afraid of being alone, I see. She must have given the employees a lot of hell being so dependant. Also, what kind of nickname is 'Kitten,'? Not really the normal run-of-the-mill evil villain name, is it?" Alfred stated. Bruce smiled, amused at his butler's reaction.

"She definitely fit's the criteria to be one of the Joker's associates. She's about as psychotic as he is," Bruce said.

"Quite," his butler replied. "But I don't see why these two would be any different from all the other lunatics he's employed. It doesn't even seem as though they have any special skills aside from being intelligent enough to hide their victims."

"Well, Alfred, you wouldn't really expect to see 'genius hacker' in an asylum profile, would you?" Bruce smiled.

"I suppose not," he sniffed indignantly.

"Last up; Fox," the Batman said, zooming in on a profile.

Name: Fox

Room: 701

Birthday: N/A

Blood Type: AB-

Hair/ Eye: Light Blue/ Amber

Mental and Social Problem: Paranoid, Bipolar; when in her lows, she is more prone to anger than sadness.

Sent by: Police

Record: Convicted of burglary, assault, battery, armed robbery, and murder. Reason- "I needed the money." "It was their fault I shot them; they got in the way!"

Record in Asylum: 4 dead; 12 injured. Cause- each of the victims seemed to have annoyed or agitated her in some way.

Warning: Can be extremely hostile

Status: Escaped

"They don't seem to be the friendliest of people, do they?" Alfred said, dusting off the keyboard.

Bruce looked at the profile picture. A girl with light blue hair glared at the unseen camera. Her hairstyle was very odd; it was cut short, just below her chin, except for some waist-length, thick strands in the back.

"I guess they were all brought in after being arrested and were put in the same room." Bruce pointed to 'Room:701.' He frowned. "Well, at least that explains how they know each other. I just need to find out their connection to the Joker… Maybe looking more into their background would help." He concentrated, searching through the prison archives. "Hm…" he said thoughtfully. "Still nothing. They must have somehow deleted all information of their arrest. It's as if they never existed outside Arkham Asylum."

"What's your plan now, Master Bruce?"

"I'm going to wait for them to make the next move.. I'll ambush them and capture the girls. After spending a bit of time in Arkham, I'm sure at least one will be willing to talk." Bruce Wayne suited up and pulled his bat mask over his face. "Meanwhile, I'm going to pay a visit to the asylum. To see if anyone remembers them."

"Good luck, sir," Alfred said as Batman jumped into his bat mobile. Bruce saluted and started the engine, driving through the waterfall in the bat cave into the unpredictable night.


	3. The Joker's Plot

"Joker, darling," Kitten said, resting her chin on his shoulder from behind. "Will you come watch the news with me?" She looked at him with her large, pleading, violet eyes. He was throwing darts at a large cartoon Batman, his red smile plastered permanently on his ghostly face. Joker turned to her and patted her on the head patronizingly.

"Not right now, Kitty-Cat, Joker's planning on a big heist at the moment." He threw another dart, hitting Batman in the chest. Kitten's eyes lit up.

"Another heist? What for?" Joker stopped and grinned his trademark grin. He brushed his lips to Kitten's ear and whispered.

"It's a secret." He winked and then cackled, throwing another dart and hitting Batman on the arm. She looked disappointed.

"Not even a hint?" she pleaded. He threw one last dart, then turned to her, grabbing the small of her back, and pulled her close to him. He pulled a bouquet of violets out of his sleeve and presented them to her, grinning. She accepted them by throwing her arms around him and kissing him passionately. The dart hit Batman between the eyes.

"Ugh! Would you two stop it?! That's disgusting! You're going to make me vomit!" Flame stood in the doorway with her arms folded over her black corset with an irritated expression on her face. The Joker laughed.

"Apologies, sister dear, we weren't planning on you arriving so soon," he said, bowing theatrically. Kitten stared at him admiringly.

"Pff…" Flame glared and turned her back on him, looking around. "This place sucks! Why can't you have a _real_ hideout? You know, one that's not in a freaking abandoned candy factory!" The warehouse was littered with debris. Machines filled the large, high-ceilinged room. On one side of the wall, clearly out of place, was a lavishly decorated four-poster bed. Placed around it was a table set with chairs, what looked to be a make-shift kitchen, a dresser, a desk with a computer, and a couch.

"You even sleep here.. Disgusting…"

"Kitten likes the candy smell, don't you, Sweetie?" the Joker asked, placing his arms affectionately around her. Kitten smiled happily, placing her hand on his.

Flame looked away, her nose wrinkled.

"When's Fox coming?"

"She should be here soon," Joker said, still smiling at Kitten. "It's not like my apprentice to be late."

"She's always late," Kitten snickered scathingly.

"I'm never late!" Fox walked into the room, looking haughtily at Kitten. She stuck her tongue out at Fox, clutching the Joker's purple jacket.

"Now we can discuss my plan!" he said, opening his arms wide in welcome and giving a devilish grin.

"What plan is this?" Flame asked skeptically. "We already stole your fag jewel, what more do you want?"

"It wasn't a fag jewel!" Kitten replied defensively. Joker stroked her hair to quiet her. He pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and unrolled it on the table next to them. It appeared to be a set of blueprints. The three girls crowded around him to see.

"Um.." Fox said. "This looks like a jewelry store… _Please don't tell me we're planning a heist for a jewelry store! We got you your amethyst stone!" Joker glared at her and Flame._

"_If you two don't like how I do things," he hissed menacingly, his cheerful demeanor vanishing immediately, "you can clear out! Kitten is more than up to such a simple task. You two can go out on your own and go back to being petty criminals! Bats will easily capture you and you'll be thrown back in Arkham!" He pointed two pistols between their temples. Flame simply glared, arms folded and Fox hissed at him._

"_Get that gun out of my face!" she yelled._

"_Both of you- shut up!" Flame commanded. "You people are completely overreacting." Joker put his fingers on the triggers. He smiled deviously and the guns went off with a loud BANG! Fox looked startled and Flame still glared coldly at him. Two scrolls had popped out of the guns and unraveled revealing writing that said "BANG!" He laughed manically and put the guns back in his coat. He then turned around, looking at them with a serious expression upon his comical face._

"_So are you with me or not?"_

"_Whatever," Flame said, "I have nothing better to do."_

"_Fine," Fox replied haughtily._

"_Good," Joker replied, the smile back on his face. "Then listen to the plan." _


	4. A Pointless Heist

**. Batman stood by the open window of Commissioner Gordon's office. In a corrupt city like Gotham, Gordon was the only one he could trust. And with his status on the police force, he could retrieve Batman almost any information he required.**

"**Working late, Gordon?" The commissioner looked up from his papers on his desk.**

"**Batman," he said, sounding a bit startled. "What do you need?" He leaned back in his chair, pushing his glasses up from the tip of his nose, trying to appear more relaxed and regain his composure. Batman leaned against the wall, standing just outside of the window. The cool breeze of the night made his cape flutter.**

"**I need to find people inside Blackgate Penitentiary that know our three girls, and I need to interview them extensively," he stated, not missing a beat.**

"**The prison?" Gordon looked confused and leaned forward on his desk, as if he wasn't sure he heard Batman right. "How do you know that anyone will know them there?"**

"**Because all three of them have been in there before. Quite a few times, from what I've heard. I also need to find any workers that cared for the girls at Arkham. They're escaped mental patients," Batman explained, seeing Gordon's bemused expression.**

"**Well that would explain why they're working with the Joker.." he muttered. "What makes you think they'd know anything of value, though?" Though he could not tell for sure with Batman's cowl, he felt the Dark Knight's stare pierce through him.**

"**At this point, any information on them is valuable," he said tersely. "Can you get me the people I need?"**

"**It'll take some time, but, yes, I can do it…" he assured him, writing something on a piece of paper. He looked up and searched the room. "Batman?" Gordon asked. Only the curtains ruffled in the wind. **

**Hurry up, would you?" Flame hissed at Fox. They were in the back of an alley and Fox kneeled down, her skirt stretched across the top half of her legs. Her body and mind were focused on a small lock that her hands were working vigorously to defeat. Kitten typed busily on her computer.**

"**I'm trying, I'm trying," Fox replied wearily, rolling her eyes.**

"**Yay! I'm done!" Kitten said happily, clapping her hands together and looking up at her teammates. "I shut down their security system. The cameras aren't even taping anymore!" Fox turned to her, mouth open. **

"**Damn! You're awesome at hacking! I should have had you back in my petty theft days… Everything would have been so much easier.." Fox said wistfully. Kitten smiled at her. "And… almost got it…"**

"**Ugh, you're taking too long," Flame said, pulling out her shot gun. Chick-chick-BOOM! The lock bust and the door flew open. Luckily as Kitten promised, no alarms went off. **

"**I was almost done!" Fox said haughtily, glaring at Flame.**

"**Was that necessary…?" Kitten asked. Flame shrugged, ignoring Fox, and made her way into the jewelry store.**

"**People could have heard that, you know," Fox said.**

"**Whatever," she replied, taking out three sacks. "Put everything you find in the sacks. I'd stay away from glass objects, though, because they'll probably end up breaking." She handed them each one as they nodded. "K, let's hurry this shit up, I'm hungry."**

**The three girls split up and began shoving everything that wasn't locked up into the bags. Flame easily shattered any glass case by hitting it with her shotgun. They worked very quickly and had almost everything in the store within minutes. Kitten lagged behind, her sack barely full, as she became distracted once more with the lure of the dazzling stones.**

"**This is pretty," she said, smiling sweetly as she held up and elaborate diamond and silver necklace. It glittered as the chain slithered through her fingers. "I wonder if my Joker will let me keep a few things? I'm sure he will.. He's always so generous."**

"**Hurry your ass up!" Flame yelled, setting her full sack down. Fox trotted over and set her own, almost over-flowing bag down next to hers. Kitten frowned.**

"**You're so mean, Flame!" she said, shoving the necklace ill-temperedly into her bag and pouring all the jewels that sat on the counter in front of her in as well. She walked over to the other two and sat her bag down.**

"**Okay, we're finally done. Now let's get the hell out of here," Flame led the way back outside into the alley.**

"**Um," Fox said, tossing her bag down. "Why don't we have a vehicle?"**

"**Because the Joker dropped us off, dumbass," Flame replied.**

"**Joker should be here soon…" Kitten said hopefully, her eyes shining. Flame looked around and saw a piece of paper nailed to a wall, fluttering in the wind, the white in deep contrast with its shabby and dark surroundings. She read it and her eyes narrowed with irritation, a deep frown appearing on her face.**

"**Great," she said, snatching the paper from the wall and handing it over to Fox and Kitten.**

**Dear girls,**

**Sorry I can't pick you up. I have business to attend to. Find your own way home.**

**XOXO,**

**The Joker**

"**Are you fucking kidding me!" Does he expect us to WALK home?! AGH!" Fox ripped up the note. "He sends us on this dumbass heist and then ditches us! How the hell are we supposed to get away without a GETAWAY car?!"**

"**God, Fox, chill out, would you?" Flame said wearily.**

"**Aaah… Fox is being scary…" Kitten hid behind Flame.**

"**Well, then. What are we supposed to do?!" Fox shot back at them.**

"**We find a car and highjack it, obviously," Flame replied coolly."**

"**One: Where are we going to get this car? Two: Don't' you think people will be a bit suspicious of us having three bags filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry. And three: We're not exactly inconspicuous with our brightly-colored hair!" Fox's voice rose as she finished, her amber eyes glowing dangerously.**

"_**I'll**_** stay with the bags. You two find a car." Flame said matter-of-factly. Fox glared but gestured for Kitten to follow her as she turned her back and walked off to the street.**

**They strolled down the street, Fox's boots clacking ahead of Kitten as several longer strands of her blue hair whipped almost with a violent tendency from side to side. **

"**Know what'd really be horrible?" Fox said, musing.**

"**What's that?"**

"**If Bats came and got us while we're looking for the car. It would be just our luck," she said, chuckling dryly.**

"**Don't say that! You're going to jinx us!" Kitten scolded her, disapprovingly. She hit Fox on the back of the head.**

"**Hey, hey. No need to hit me. Let's just find a car fast and we wont have to worry about it." She looked from side to side, searching both sides of the street, but only seeing cars on the road. "I suppose we could just point a gun to someone's head and highjack the car… But it'd be less dangerous if we just hotwired one.."**

"**What about that one?" Kitten asked, mildly, pointing to a car across the street. Fox gasped. **

"**That's a coupe! Holy shit, that's a nice car! We **_**have**_** to steal that! C'mon!" she grabbed Kitten by the wrist and raced across the street, dodging cars as they ran. As soon as they were right next to it, Fox unrolled a tool kit and chose her desired utilities. She then went to work after Kitten sent out a high-frequency signal, disabling the car's alarm system. A lock clicked and Fox hopped in the front seat. Kitten opened the passenger door and sat down, reclining in the leather seat. Fox held the steering-wheel with awe and caressed the interior lovingly. She bent down and hotwired it, revving the engine and smirking. **

"**Okay, let's go pick up Flame, Kitten." Fox began to pull out into the street, turning the radio all the way up and blasting metal music. Straps burst forth from the seats and clasped themselves firmly around the two girls. "I don't remember reading about this function…"**

"**Agh! It's too tight! How do you get it off!" Kitten squealed, thrashing about.**

"**You don't," a voice replied smugly, the music shutting off. More straps came out, holding down their arms, legs and necks. The car continued on, driving down the road, an invisible hand seeming to guide the steering wheel as it turned itself.**

"**Let me out! Stop this fucking car right now!" Fox yelled, struggling. The voice ignored her and the car kept driving. "Goddammit! We fell into a trap!"**

"**I want to go back to the Joker!" Kitten started to cry, giving up on her vain attempts to break loose.**

"**Shut up!" Fox hissed. "Keep your goddamn mouth shut, woman!" Kitten wailed and burst into tears.**

"**Just sit tight, ladies, and enjoy the ride," the voice said condescendingly.**

"**Aaagh! Let-me-OUT!" Fox flung herself against the straps, trying as hard as she could to break free from her bonds, but they held her tightly in place. The voice chuckled.**

"**You'll have to do better than that if you want to get out of **_**my**_** car." Kitten was still weeping in desperation, hardly seeming to hear the man on the radio.**

"**It's ok, Kitten, we'll get out of here," Fox said reassuringly.**

"**But what if we **_**don't**_** and I never see the Joker again!" Kitten sobbed. Fox twitched at the sound of his name, restraining herself from reminding her partner to keep her mouth shut.**

"**I'll make sure we get back," she replied.**

"**Oh, really?" the voice said, amused. "You think you can get away from me? It will be interesting to see you try." Fox glared at the radio. "You two don't seem **_**nearly**_** as intelligent as even that over-sized rodent! How can you possibly escape my trap? All your attempts seem quixotic at the best. I'm sure he would have performed far more admirably. Or, at least, not have been idiotic enough to take my bait."**

"**You talk a lot of shit for someone hiding behind a car," Fox growled.**

"**You'll see my face in due time, dear Fox. You just have to wait for the opportune moment."**

"**And when I do, I'll blow it off!"**

"**Violence… it's so.. Barbaric. No, no, we are going to have a competition. But not a physical one, oh no. In my game, your guns bombs, and physical prowess will hardly help you," the voice said.**

"**I don't want to play a game!" Kitten said. "Let us go home!" **

"**Hush, you would do well to listen when your superiors are talking. Above all else, your mind should be your biggest asset. You accuse me of hiding behind my invention? You hide behind your bombs and guns like a king hides behind his swarms of soldiers, like a coward. When placed in a **_**real competition with me, I'll beat you bar-none. But all of you are bronze and no brain so it should hardly be a challenge…" the voice trailed off, a bit wistfully as though he had hopped for better opponents. "I'm sure you'll serve your purpose, however. I just expect a couple hours entertainment out of you. Meanwhile, though, sit back and relax. You're almost there." **_

"_**Where's 'there'?" Kitten asked.**_

"_**You'll see."**_


End file.
